On this day in 1788, Georgia voted to ratify the U.S. Constitution, becoming the 4th state in our modern United States! The Province of Georgia was established in 1732, with its first settlement happening a year later when Savannah was founded. Named in honor of England’s King George II, the original Georgia colony extended from South Carolina to Spanish Florida and was to French Louisiana.
Georgia is known as the Peach State, but it’s also the country’s top producer of pecans, peanuts, and Vidalia onions. The state is also one of the top 5 blueberry producers in the country.
In 1886, Coca-Cola was first sold in Atlanta for 5 cents a glass. Georgia is also the site of the first Waffle House, and home to the headquarters of companies like Chick-fil-A, CNN, Delta Airlines, the CDC, and Home Depot. Atlanta has been called the “Hollywood of the South”, and since 1972 more than 800 films and 1,500 TV shows have been filmed on location in Georgia. In 2016, Georgia overtook California as the state with the most feature films produced on location.
One of the biggest New Year’s Eve celebrations in Georgia happens in the town of Tallapoosa, where they host an annual Possum Drop. A taxidermy opossum named Spencer is suspended in a wire ball decorated with Christmas lights. At 11:30, he gets raised to the top of the towns tallest building, and as the clock strikes midnight, he’s slowly lowered to the ground.
Learn more about Georgia in the audio below!